Corker, Blackburn coy on content of talks withTrump

Sen. Bob Corker and Rep. Marsha Blackburn both met with President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday and both were predictably coy in commenting on the substance of the discussions – as in whether they are in the running for a cabinet position. But Corker said the discussion was “wide-ranging” and Blackburn declared her meeting “great.”

Sen. Bob Corker described his sit-down with President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday as a “very wide-ranging meeting” but deflected questions about whether he is in the running for secretary of state or another cabinet post.

“It’s been an honor to have the kind of meeting that I had today,” the Tennessee Republican told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City, shortly after his meeting with the president-elect. “We had a very wide ranging meeting, actually a couple meetings, and his instincts on foreign policy are obviously very, very good.”

Corker described this moment as “the greatest opportunity in modern times to really strengthen our nation’s security interests around the world and help us economically.”

“I enjoyed the opportunity to be here, it’s an honor,” Corker said, later adding, “I know he has a number of outstanding individuals that he’s talking with. I was glad to be here and glad to see more fully some of what his views about the world are.”

Corker was the second Tennessee elected official to meet with the president-elect. Earlier Tuesday, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican from Middle Tennessee, spent time with Trump. Little was revealed from that meeting.

… Blackburn is a member of Trump’s transition team and has been the subject of speculation that she could land a position in his administration.

“Earlier this morning I had a great meeting with President-elect Trump in New York City,” Blackburn said in a statement. “We discussed policy issues that are important to him and ways I can be helpful going forward.”

When asked if he thought his role in the administration would still remain limited to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Corker hemmed and hawed.

“The Secretary of State role is so important for the president. He needs to choose someone he’s very comfortable with and he knows there’s gonna be no daylight between him and them. The world needs to know the Secretary of State is someone who speaks fully for the president, and again, that’s a decision he’s going to have to make, and again, it’s an honor to be here, and I relish the role I’ve been able to play,” Corker said. “I think anybody who feels like they could further our country’s national interests around the would would obviously want to talk about that and would be honored to serve in that capacity.”